Still Soul
by KunioStar
Summary: Kitana is enjoying a relatively peaceful life after the defeat of Shinnok. But when Shao Kahn and Kano join forces to attack Edenia, she must once again kick some butt. Kitana action and costumes from MKII! My first ever fanfic, please review.


Still Soul by Kunio  
  
The sun rose in Edenia at precisely six o'clock. It first directed its gaze over the barren wastelands, then over the farmland. It continued to rise over the city of Shokan, and finally at the Edenian Palace. The inhabitants of the palace slowly awoke from their peaceful slumber and got ready for the day.  
  
Princess Kitana was already up and about, dressed in a regal royal blue gown. Her hair was no longer in a tight bun, but it flowed down to her waist. She gracefully glided into the throne room like an elegant swan, and sat down on her throne. Her subjects gathered around her, and informed her of the latest news in Edenia. She was pleased; the economy had improved greatly since the defeat of Shinnok.  
  
The day went by. Kitana attended a business meeting between two rivaling companies. She was able to settle the matter with ease and no further arguments were held. She had lunch with her closest friends, and then retreated into her private office to do some paperwork. She was extremely bored; the heat of the day made her feel sleepy and stupid. She was a warrior, after all. Royal life just didn't suit her.  
  
"Oh well. Things could be a lot worse," she mused out loud, sighing and massaging her neck. She was right. If Earth Realm hadn't defeated Shinnok, her world would be once again a dry wasteland. It all began with Tanya...  
  
Tanya was the daughter of the Edenian Ambassador to new realms called Nergal. Kitana had met her once before when she had accompanied her father to the palace. She was haughty, conceited, but an exceptional fighter. They had gotten along well, but their relationship took a turn for the worse when Tanya did the unspeakable.  
  
When Shinnok broke free from the Nether Realm and started attack small worlds, Queen Sindel (Kitana's mother) ordered Tanya to lead people out of Shinnok's clutches and into Edenia. One fateful day, however, Tanya brought in another group of refugees, this time her intentions were evil. One of the refugees inside the group was none other than Shinnok himself. He and Tanya stormed the castle, and Tanya herself killed Queen Sindel with her ferocious boomerang attack. Kitana was captured and was put in a heavily guarded jail cell.  
  
Fortunately, Liu Kang rescued her and she personally cut off Tanya's head. Again, Liu Kang refused to rule at Kitana's side, and said his skills were needed in Earth Realm. Brokenhearted Kitana returned and again restored her realm to beauty. That was nearly five years ago...  
  
"Kitana! Kitana! Warriors from Earth Realm are here to see you!" It was none other than Jade, her long time friend and companion.  
  
"Who are they, Jade?"  
  
"I don't know. One is very strong and has metal arms, the other is female and blonde." replied her friend, making perfect descriptions of Kitana's allies.  
  
"Jax, Sonya! Send them in at once!" she commanded, excited and eager to see her friends. They hadn't communicated since Shinnok was killed. A minute later, Major Jax Briggs and Lieutenant Sonya Blade entered her office. They had looks of anticipation on their faces.  
  
"Jax, Sonya, what a pleasant surprise!" Kitana said, standing up to greet them.  
  
"I'm sorry Kitana but this is not a reunion of three friends. We have just received word that my arch nemesis Kano has allied himself with a revived Shao Kahn. They are preparing to attack Edenia!" cried Sonya frantically.  
  
"Oh no that is terrible news! Do you have any intel on their location?" queried Kitana nervously. She was quite taken aback by the news.  
  
"All's we know is that they have joined forces and are preparing to attack your world in three days. This is bad news Kitana. Earth Realm will do it's best to protect your world but we have conflicts in our own world," said Jax gravely.  
  
"No worries, Jax. I'm sure the combined might of Edenia and whatever Earth has will be enough. I am going immediately to the Shokan King Goro. Our peace treaty with the Shokan will provide a great ally," said Kitana.  
  
"Great idea. Meanwhile, we'll gather what fighters we have and send them over to Edenia to back you up. We'll continue our investigations at Earth," said Sonya. "Good luck Kitana. We'll see you in the near future."  
  
"Yes, go and may the spirit of Edenia bless you both." They departed and Jade spoke for the first time.  
  
"Do not worry, Kitana. We will be able to push back Shao Kahn. With Edenia, Shokan, and Earth Realm, we will surely win."  
  
"I hope you're right Jade."  
  
***  
  
If she was going back into war again, she was going to do this the right way. The Kitana Way. The Mortal Kombat Way. She cut her raven hair shoulder length, and put on the attire she wore during her first Mortal Kombat Tournament. That consisted of her blue leotard, blue knee-high stiletto boots, elbow length blue gloves, a blue mask covering her lower face, and a blue headband. She grinned at her reflection in the mirror, although the mask concealed her mouth.  
  
Last but not least, she unsheathed two fans. They were light blue and were spiked at the tips. In between the spikes was a razor sharp edge. They were her weapons of choice, and she was the only steel fan expert in the world.  
  
Her primary fighting styles, Daito-Ryu and Ba Gua were extremely potent. The only other stronger Earth Realm warriors were Liu Kang and Kung Lao. She slid into her Daito-Ryu stance. Her right elbow as in a V position and her hand was pointing upward. Her left arm was in the same position, but closer to her chest. Her legs were in the standard fighting position, right in front of left with about 75% of her weight on her right foot.  
  
After completing a few forms in Daito-Ryu, she shifted into Ba Gua. It was an awkward stance, but it confused the opponent well and was extremely defensive. Her chest and face were facing her imaginary opponent but her waist was pointing south. Her hands were not closed, but open. She practiced her favorite combos in her Ba Gua stance before finally drawing her steel fans.  
  
One closed fan was next to the left side of her face, her left arm cocked. The other fan was pressed against her chest, this one open to shield any attack at her middle. Her legs were in the same position as Daito-Ryu. After performing a few slicing attacks with her weapons, she used a hidden magic to conceal them on her person without weighing her down. Finally, she was ready to set on a journey to ally herself with the Shokan.  
  
***  
  
Kitana and Jade set off on horseback to the dwelling place of the Shokan Army. The sun had set and the moon was in full view, at its crescent stage. Kitana simply adored crescent moons, and it was a sign of good luck to her.  
  
"Kitana, are you sure King Goro will ally himself with you? What makes you so sure that he will turn his back on his one time ally Shao Kahn?" asked Jade, her emerald eyes sparkling in the moonlight.  
  
"I know because he despises Shao Kahn. He treated him like vermin and did not even bother to look for his body to rescue him, instead replacing him with Kintaro as soon as he found out that Liu Kang defeated him," said Kitana. She was right. Goro couldn't stand Shao Kahn.  
  
"Hmmm good point. Well, we must be nearly there." They were. The city of Shokan blazed in front of them. They arrived at the gatehouse. One large Shokan was guarding it alone.  
  
"WHAT BRINGS YOU HERE TO THE CITY OF SHOKAN?" he boomed, pounding his huge polearm into the ground. Kitana's voice was equally as intimidating.  
  
"I am the Empress Kitana, ruler of all Edenia. I have come to see the Shokan King Goro because dire events have happened. You will escort me and my companion Jade at once to him."  
  
"HOW DO I KNOW THAT YOU ARE WHO YOU SAY?" he asked threateningly.  
  
"If you do not open this door, we will have to force our way in. I do not take threats lightly," Kitana said, irritated that a Shokan would question her authority.  
  
"THEN YOU WILL DIE!" he exclaimed, hurling his spear at Kitana.  
  
Years of combat experience taught Kitana that when a large humanoid makes a throwing motion at you, it is advised to get out of the way. She instinctively leapt off her horse and landed cat like on the ground, opening her steel fans and readying herself for combat. Jade leapt at her side at once, her green boomerang gleaming in the night.  
  
"I give you one more warning. I am Empress Kitana, ruler of all Edenia. If you do not believe me, I will be forced to kill you," she said calmly. She had taken on much worse than this subordinate Shokan. And with Jade by her side, it would be trivially easy.  
  
"YOU CANNOT DEFEAT ME. YOU ARE A MERE MORTAL. YOU WILL DIE." He said, lunging himself at Kitana. She was ready. She leapt into the air and soared at the half human, half dragon. She kicked him once in the face, then turned in midair and kicked him again. Before she landed she spun around once more and slashed at his back. She gracefully landed and surveyed her handiwork. There was a lump forming on his head and a gash in his back.  
  
"AAAAAAAARRRRGH!!!!!!!" he said, when Jade did a massive crescent kick at him. She followed up with a swipe to his chest. He fell down with a huge boom and bled slowly to death.  
  
Suddenly, the gate banged open and it was none other than the Shokan King Goro. He saw what had happened.  
  
"KITANA! WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO MY OFFICER!?" he bellowed, rage clearly evident in his voice.  
  
"I had no choice, my lord. He refused to let me in the city and did not acknowledge my authority. I gave him fair warning and he continued to disrespect me and my companion. We beg you for mercy." Goro apparently thought that she was telling the truth, so he pardoned her.  
  
"RISE, NOBLE EMPRESS. WE APOLOGIZE FOR HIS CRUDE BEHAVIOR, AND HE HAS PAYED THE CONSEQUENCES. PLEASE, WHAT IS IT THAT YOU ASK OF US?"  
  
"We have come on the gravest of circumstances. An alliance between Edenia and Shokan is needed to fight off a revived Shao Kahn. May we discuss further matters inside?" asked Kitana. The night was cold, and although Shokan did not naturally feel cold weather, they knew that humans did, so they granted Kitana's wish. Ten minutes later, they were seated inside Goro's council room.  
  
"King Goro, the Earth Realm has discovered that Kano, a participator for evil in the last Mortal Kombat Tournaments has allied himself with Shao Kahn. They are preparing to attack Edenia in three to four days. We do not know what their numbers are or their true intentions, but we must defend our Realm from outside invasion," she finished.  
  
"TRUE. I THINK YOU ARE AWARE OF MY HATRED TOWARDS SHAO KAHN. I UNDERSTAND YOU HAVE A LASTING VENDETTA AGAINST HIM. WAS IT NOT HE THAT KILLED YOUR PARENTS AND FORCED YOUR MOTHER TO COMMIT SUICIDE?"  
  
"That is right. I have a passionate hate for the being and I will not let him win this battle. Please, join forces with Edenia and let us kill Shao Kahn once and for all."  
  
"I ACCEPT. ALL OF SHOKAN'S ARMIES ARE YOURS TO COMMAND, MY EMPRESS," he bowed, and the rest of his officials bowed too.  
  
"Thank you, King Goro. For your kindness, I will place you third in command and in command of all the Shokan. You will answer to Jade, and she will answer to me. Once again, thank you, and I will come here tomorrow to discuss more intel and strategy," Kitana said, bowing low to the Shokan King.  
  
They departed soon after, and were too weary to discuss the night's events. Kitana slumped on her bed and fell into a deep slumber. 


End file.
